


The Clicking Sound

by Emilia



Series: The Wrath of Sithis [1]
Category: Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion
Genre: Attempted Rape/Non-Con, Childhood Memories, Dysfunctional Family, F/M, Hopeful Ending, I Don't Even Know, I Tried, Imaginary Friends, Original Character Death(s), Please Don't Hate Me, Sorry Not Sorry, What Have I Done
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-08-17
Updated: 2014-08-24
Packaged: 2018-02-13 12:46:24
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Rape/Non-Con
Chapters: 4
Words: 6,670
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2151258
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Emilia/pseuds/Emilia
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>A lonely girl makes an imaginary best friend. Despite the grotesque appearance, her friend helps "guide" her way as she leaves home from an early age.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Age Seven

**Author's Note:**

> *If anyone doesn't fully get this (especially later on) Clicky is Sithis. I'm sorry if I slender-fied him, but that's how I imagine him in my head. Not sure how else he's depicted, but that's how for me. On the bright side, this isn't really a spoiler or anything.

Childhood was a simple time for most people. The world was harmless, everyone you would meet was a brand new friend, and your parents were your heroes. The worst you had to worry about was being home in time from playing with the local kids. For most people, of course. But there was one thing every kid could agree on: Nighttime was scariest part of it all.

For Carciniea Aurmieri, this was no different. She was only a small child who didn't live half as long as her three brothers. Two of her brothers, Saebellan and Jouanrick Aurmieri, believed her nighttime problems was nothing more than a cry for attention. Their mother defended her youngest child, saying they were just afraid of their closet when they were her age as she was now.

Her oldest brother, the head of the household following their mother, Adophum, was more understanding about the situation. He told her that the only way to conquer her fears was to try and befriend them, to show who was the bigger person. Despite the somewhat encouraging advice, Carciniea had no interest in befriending what had been haunting her. Their mother simply stated that in time she would outgrow her childish fears.

Her mother, least to say, wasn't completely wrong.

She remembered a warm, summery night in Sun's Height had taken a strange, chilling turn. She woke up, small beads of sweat on her youthful had collected along her brow despite the strange chill she had received that wrenched her from her slumber. Her eyes were firmly shut, but there was something in the back of her head that told her she wasn't alone. There was someone or some _thing_  with her, watching her.

Despite this, she grew curious as to what exactly made her so afraid. She opened one eye by a mere few fractions to see what seemed to be out of the ordinary. It wasn't long before her guard slowly fell, even going as far as to sitting up and searching her room. Then, from the corner of her eye, she found it.

It was crouched over in the darkest corner of her room, facing her. It looked as if it could stand well over seven feet, but it was hunched over to the ground. The humanoid looking figure was skinny, bones and organs could be seen through the grey, tight skin. It's long arms were twitching and fumbling over its pale colored heart that sat in the center of its stomach. It lacked the details of a face, despite heavy wheezing sounds forming from the strange figure. Four extra appendages made cracking noises with each pop of the joint, feeling around the oddly cold room.

It looked to her, its head made another cracking sound as it cocked its head slightly to the side. She let out a piercing scream, first instinct to hide under the covers until her mother or Adophum came to her rescue from the hideous creature. Carciniea choked on a few sobs, curling into a ball under her blankets.

She felt a soft stroking on her back, the sick sounds were much closer than she realized. The sound of the popped joints made her ears want to cringe, but it managed to have soothed her somewhat. Her fear began to quickly die down as the creature continued stroking her back and worked its way up to her hair.

Its grotesque appearance still frightened her, but she was willing to try and give it another chance. She slowly pulled the heavy bed covers off from her head, managing only a grimace and a low whimper. Seeing it so close to her face, its several arms twisted and placed in impossible angles for an ordinary person, almost made her want to begin crying again. But she kept her eldest brother's advice in mind: _You can't keep hiding and running from your fears. One day, you'll have to look them in the face and realize they're not so bad at all._

"Y-You're..." She began, her voice cracked, "You're my friend... Aren't ya?"

Its head dropped down by a few inches, picking back up after a moment to face her once more. One hand left its startling position to cup her cheek, another to rest comfortingly on her shoulder. This strange sign of affection brought a small, shy smile to her face.

"My brother was right. You're not that bad, after all. Are ya?" She giggled, her legs criss-crossing in front of her.

"Carcy? Is that you?" She heard Adophum's deep, booming voice emerge from the darkness outside her doorway, a bright, blinding light emitted. Before she helplessly shielded her eyes from the presence of the new light, Carciniea Aurmieri could see her faceless friend disappear from her bedroom.

"I made a new friend," she yawned, "Just like you said." "I'm happy to hear, but shouldn't it wait until morning?" He let out a grunt, "I don't see why that would make you scream unless you're trying to get Mother upset." There was a shriek that called for Carciniea, coming from the room right above her. "She's fine, Mother, now go back to bed!" Adophum called, turning the bright light off, "Night night, Carcy."

She rubbed one of her eyes, a tad bit disgruntled as her eyes had to refocus back to the darkness that flooded the house. She stretched back across her lightly colored bed, looking around to see if her friend would make one more appearance. She fell back into humble sleep when it was safe to say she was alone.

About a week later, her mother had brought her along on a few errands. Carciniea didn't have much in the say, as two of her brothers worked together in an odds and ends shop while the other was almost always busy on guard duty.

The city they lived in, Kvatch, was one of the more upper class cities that rivaled with even the Imperial City. There was always a fluctuation of people passing through the streets as well as plenty shops around every corner. Her mother took Carciniea into a barber shop where her mother was quite popular. There, the two were greeted by an older Dunmer woman, someone Carciniea recognized was an old friend with her mother and a master of gossip.

"Danaeli!" Her mother rejoiced as the two ladies locked eyes. She snatched her hand away from her daughter's as she hugged her old friend. "I never see you anymore, you ol' hag," she laughed, seating herself in the Dunmer's vacant booth.

"Please, you saw me but a month ago," Danaeli laughed. She caught eye of the small child, watching her closely. "Is that the one you've been hiding me from, Guilana?"

"Who? Carciniea?" Her mother glanced to her child, "Please, she's about seven now and such a handful. She'll wake us up in the night for nothing, because she thought she saw something. Y'know what else? Her brothers could hardly imagine doing something without magic, yet she can't even accidentally cast something!"

"She's only a child, dear," the Dunmer tried to soothe her hotheaded friend, beginning to trim the ends of her greying hair, "Give her time, maybe then she'll show you different."

"Hmph. I blame her father's genes either way. Who knows, may be it's not that and she's just so busy talking about this new friend of her's. Really, it's absurd! She's got one of those imaginary friends-"

"Clicky is real! _He is_! He's just shy!" Carciniea protested, stomping her feet against the floor.

Her mother's face was quick to turn to a bright pink, "I wonder how real you'll say he is when I come over there to smack you-" "Guilana," Danaeli said gingerly, "It is pretty common for this to happen. She'll be in and out of this phase before you know it."

Carciniea felt a nervous shudder as her mother continued to glare in silence. She feared what would be awaiting her in the privacy of their home, especially knowing Adophum wouldn't be there to protect her from her mother.

Just as she was expecting, that night her mother had punished her for speaking out of line by giving her a sharp spanking with a belt and sent her to bed without dinner.

She sat in the darkness of her room, staring out her window and watched as the sun slowly hid behind the horizon. Tears rolled down her cheeks, she wheezed as she tried to compose herself. She could hear her mother, Jouanrick, and Saebellan all laughed and talked around the dinner table and soon collapsed under her covers as she started back up on crying.

There was a faint clicking noise that she could barely make out behind her loud, gross sobbing. She felt a familiar hand stroke her back and shoulder, a brand new rush of happiness crashed over her as she tore her bed sheets off of her head.

"Clicky!" She squeaked, surprised to see him so early.

The once frightening figure, who she named Clicky due to the clicking sounds his joints made, stroked her hair as it pulled its tall, frail figure through her window. The last arm that climbed through the window clasped a small flower in its hand. Clicky took her small hands and laid the flower between them, slowly nodding.

She beamed at him, holding the flower close to her heart. One of its arms wiped away one of her tears, cupping her face into its hands. She made a loud sniffing sound, "It's nothing, my mommy got mad at me because she said you weren't real. You're here, so now we can be best friend forever and ever!"

She laid her head on its lap, stretching her legs, "I wish you could show them you're real. So stuff like this doesn't have to happen. But that's okay, at least I can see you now. As long as I got you, I don't need no one else."


	2. Age Ten

A few years after they initially began their friendship, the Aurmieri family began to worry about their youngest's behavior. She acted and talked like any girl her age, but what worried them was who she behaved to.

There were plenty of kids her age, they were all in small little cliques and groups and were very close-knitted. But she rarely went outdoors on her own initiative unless Adophum offered her to come along while he was on duty or she was supposed to help with Saebellan's little shop. Her behavior never shifted toward her family; the only difference was she closed herself up in her room more often.

She did her best to try and slept the day away, for when the sun went down things became interesting.

On one particular night, early in the spring season, Carciniea waited until late into the night for her special friend to come out. She could hear his thin fingers tap against her window, beckoning her to sneak out and play their favorite game.

She opened her window barely wide enough to squeeze through, dropping onto the slippery shingles that covered their doorstep. It had rained earlier that day, leaving the shingles still very slippery for her bare feet.

She managed to leap to the ground, only losing balance for a split second. She looked up to see Clicky hunched over underneath a lamp post just across from her home. She ran over to give it a light tap on the grey, beating heart that sat on its stomach.

"You're it!" She giggled, starting off the game of hide-and-seek. It was one of the few games they could play, but Carciniea didn't mind too much. It was fun, though she always wondered how Clicky could find her so quickly. She instantly ran off, hiding behind a large chapel not too far from her home.

She peeked around the corner, waiting and watching for any signs of Clicky. She had a hand covering her mouth, muffling her giggles and snickers as she thought to herself what an original place she thought of. Her patience soon began to run thin, wondering if she had herself _too_ well. She plopped onto the damp grass, turning back to find her friend waiting behind her.

She let out a small shriek, surprised to see him there without him making a sound. She fell back, her hair mixing in with the dark shadows surrounding them. She looked back up to see that she was by herself once more, hearing a familiar voice coming from behind. "Who's there?" They asked.

She quickly turned her head to face the person, her face withheld a guilty expression until she saw who had found her. "Brother Martin," she groaned, "You made my friend go away!"

"Carciniea Aurmieri?" He casted a bright light that lingered over his shoulder, "What are you doing out here, child? It's late and your mother is probably worried."

"I _was_ playing with my friend," she rolled her eyes.

He knelt down to her level, "Oh really? And what friend would that be?"

"His name's Clicky. My momma says he's not real, but my brother says it's normal for me to have friends like him. I don't think anyone thinks he's real. But he's shy, that's why he... Well, I don't know where he goes."

Martin hesitated, scratching his chin. "Come with me, child."

He stood, holding out a hand for her. She was reluctant, but Martin was a friend and a priest so she could trust him. She took his hand, following him inside the Chapel of Akatosh. He sat her on one of the benches, leaving her for only a moment. Her eyes wandered around the chapel, noticing some of the subtle changes that have been made since she lasted visited a year ago. Martin came back, a small, thin blanket in hands to cover her up with.

"I haven't seen you in the chapel lately," he noted, placing a concerned hand on her shoulder, "Is everything alright at home?"

Carciniea made a face at this, wondering to herself if coming with him was a good idea, "I- Yes? I've just been helping with Saebellan's shop."

"I see," he offered her a kindly smile, "I just worry is all. I wasn't always a priest, got mixed up in some bad stuff, and I would hate to see something similar happen to another. But, as for your friend, I agree with your brother. It should be perfectly normal for a girl your age. I just don't think playing in the middle of the night is a good idea." He laughed.

She nodded, "I know. He just doesn't like daytime."

There was a collection of screaming and the echoing of metal clanking together. They could make out through the stained glass a group of guards were running, weapons drawn, and crowding around a nearby house. Carciniea jumped out of her seat, running back out in the chilly night as she remembered that Adophum had nighttime duty as a guard.

A few civilians had came out of their home to check out the commotion, creating a fairly large crowd around the entrance to one of the smaller houses. She pushed her way to see Adophum just through the doorway, talking to fellow guards.

"Probably that damned Brotherhood again-" One guard began, silencing as Adophum raised a hand.

"Maybe, or perhaps we have a neighborhood murderer," he crossed his arms as exhaled a sigh, "Clean this mess up. Looks like I have paperwork to get to."

He turned to leave, suddenly feeling some hands clamp around his waist. He looked down to find Carciniea at his waist, looking up at him with a worried expression. "I- I was worried something happened to you," she sniffed. He managed to get her to release him, taking one of her small hands as the large cluster began to deteriorate away.

"You shouldn't be out here," he said sternly,"What are you doing here? Does Mother know you're here?"

She shook her head, "I just wanted to play with my friend, but then stupid Brother Martin ruined the game."

"This friend of yours doesn't sound that nice if he's making you break rules. It's Clicky, isn't it?"

She gave a shy nod.

They stopped right outside their home, Adophum fiddling in his pockets to find his house key. He unlocked the door, quietly and slowly opening it as he gave his sister a small push. She looked back towards him, "You're not going to tell Momma... Are you?"

"I'll talk to her when she's up and I'm off duty. In the meantime, you talk to Clicky about this sneaking you're doing," he locked the door once more, beginning to close it, "Good night."

She quietly made her way up the stairs, closing her door behind her as she made a break for her bed. She buried her head in her pillow as she let out loud, muffled sobs. It wasn't long until she felt Clicky's hands stroking her hair. She picked up her head and looked to her friend, "I- I don't think we can play anymore, Clicky. M-Momma's gonna hate me..."

It cocked its head to the side, slumping its shoulders. Its head drooped down as it slowly turned back to the dark corner just across from her, disappearing back into the darkness.

Knowing she was all alone again made her sobs grow louder, wishing Clicky could take her away from her mother. She wanted to leave and not dare look back, but she knew better that the world was dangerous for a ten-year old. All she wanted in the end, was her friend again.


	3. Age Fifteen

In only half a decade later, trouble had stirred and it was more dangerous than anyone could predict. Kvatch was left in ruins and rubble, the Count of the city lied dead. The beginning of the whole ordeal happened so fast, everyone in a rush to look for safety. It wasn't long before time began to slow down, every minute feeling like an hour spent in fear.

When a hero finally did come and tear the evil away from the city, more damage was done to the structures and the families than one could imagine. The Imperial City stretched out some guards to watch over the survivors as they settled down below away from any other Oblivion Gate threat.

The Aurmieri family were no exception in this matter. A few of the surviving city guards tried to fetch any remaining survivors or any important items. On one evening in the early autumn, not long after the citizens took refuge not too far from their home city, the Breton family were visited by the small pack of remaining guards. They had paid the guards to look for their eldest son, who helped fight back the Daedra and the Oblivion Gate.

Carciniea had no desire in spending time consoling her broken family. She spent much of her time sitting against a torn tree, missing much of the upper portion of its wooden body. She overlooked the horizon, watching the sun melt into the dark ground as she overheard a conversation coming from her family's tent.

"Guilana," one addressed her mother, "We regret to inform you we have yet to find any evidence that Adophum Aurmieri could still be alive. Even if he is, there is a chance he could be trapped inside Oblivion itself."

"Isn't there anything you all can do other than look through rubble like a pack of monkeys?" Saebellan spoke up.

"We are very sorry, sir, but there really isn't much we can do-"

"Then I want my money back. We have paid you all to search for a missing person and we are not accepting anything less. Either get back out there or give me my money back."

"Don't be such a brat," her mother spat, a loud smacking sound coming from the tent, "Thank you for your patronage, Captain."

"If there's anything else, just call for us."

"Yes, and thank you again," her mother weakly said.

Carciniea listened as the guards shuffled away, the light of their torches shining in the corner of her vision. Stars began to poke out of the navy blue sky, twinkling and gleaming in the dark blanket that covered the earth.

"What're we gonn' do now?" Jouanrick asked, his voice cracking and wavering. "'Dolphum was our main way of getting cash. I don't keep sleeping on the ground, Momma."

"Then what do you propose, you big baby!" Saebellan barked, Jouanrick's whimpering could be heard as an undertone "My shop is ruined, so there goes that idea too. Hmm... Maybe we could sell off Carcy? As a mercenary I mean, she looks much too masculine to be a whore."

"Nobody is selling anyone," there was another smacking sound followed by their mother's voice, "I've been writing letters to- Wait, where _is_ Carcy? I want everyone to hear this, you can be damned sure I'm not repeating myself..."

"She's probably sitting by that tree stump, trying to look cool agai-" "I'm coming, jeez," Carciniea called, balling her hand into a fist at the sound of her least favorite brother.

She entered the tent, groaning to herself. Jouanrick had in fact been crying, a few tears had remained in place on his cheeks. Her mother's eyes looked red and irritated as well, age really getting the better of her appearance. Saebellan looked the same, always skulking and brooding to himself while keeping a nasty attitude to anyone who interrupted his train of thought.

"Finally! Sit down," she commanded, seating herself on a small little stool, "As I was saying, I've been writing to your Grandmother lately and I plan on seeing if she could book us a passage to High Rock."

"Wait, what?" Carciniea stared at her mother in disbelief, "We can't leave Cyrodiil, I grew up here. So did these two numbskulls!" She pointed to her brothers. "We can't leave!"

"And why not? I'm sorry, do you like sleeping on the ground like a filthy animal? All of our money and belongings were in our home! I spent the last bit of gold I had looking for the only competent person here that can actually make good amount if coin, now look where he is!"

"He's your _son_ and my brother! Not your stupid money-maker!" Carciniea yelled, the topic of her newly deceased brother hitting a nerve, "All you did was blackmail and guilt him into staying and giving you his money, because you're too old to do anything! The only other person you should be bringing with you is Jouanrick, the gods know he's too sensitive to get a simple job!"

"If I may interject," Saebellan stepped in, "Our grandparents do have quite a bit of gold, so maybe it is better off we go to High Rock. For all we know, it's only-"

"Shut it, Saeb. You're only agreeing with her so you can escape your debt with the Thieves' Guild." There was a sharp gasp from their mother, Carciniea nodded in confirmation, "He borrowed money from them and do you know what he used it for? Fucking Skooma!"

"You little rat," he hissed, holding up his hand as an icy mist surrounded it, "I'll turn you into an ice cube!"

"You will _not_ ," their mother stood, stomping her foot once. Saebellan folded his arms, discharging his spell. She turned back to Carciniea, "You will come with us, Carciniea Aurmieri. This is your last chance, you little brat. We can either go to High Rock as a family with big smiles on our faces, or you can squirm here like the little animal you are."

Carciniea looked from her mother's aged face to her brothers. Saebellan still looked more than ready to put an ice shard through her gullet, Jouanrick looked like he was on the verge of a breakdown. She calmed herself quickly, knowing how quick to panic he was when it came to arguing. Her eyes narrowed back to her mother, choosing her next words carefully, "Don't bother writing to me, I don't plan on talking to you all anytime soon."

She turned her back to her family, beginning to leave. She stopped right outside the exit flap, "Just call me Carciniea now. I really rather not people know that we're related."

With that last note, she left. She didn't bother grabbing any of her things, knowing her mother wouldn't let her keep them. It was a bittersweet feeling, knowing she was on her own for the first time. She followed down the trail, finding a nearby cave to sleep in for the night. It shouldn't be too bad, she figured, as she journeyed with Adophum to other major cities of the province.

She curled up against the damp dirt, trying to maintain as much heat as she could. She heard a vague, familiar clicking sound nearby. She opened her eyes to find her old imaginary friend, hunched over her matured body as it stroked her hair and arm. Her nerves were shot from the argument that had recently occurred, as it was not very often she spoke up in such a manner.

A small, half-smile came to her face, "I guess you are real, eh? And where in the world have you been hiding?" Its head twitched into what she guessed was suppose to be a nod.

She sat up, biting her lip as she asked, "Is my brother really gone?" She felt Clicky would know, though she couldn't exactly explain why. Her friend was the only guidance she had left.

Its head fell, facing the ground below them. She didn't like what it could mean, but she was ready to accept Adophum was gone forever.

She picked up her friend's head, forcing a smile, "It's okay, you know why? Because at least we still have each other. Best friends forever, right?" It took her hands within all six of its own, holding it closely.

Despite the dreary night, Carciniea was sure that leaving her family behind must have been the right choice. She was sure Adophum would be proud that she was finally standing up for herself.


	4. Age Seventeen

It was a rough path the next couple years since she began the journey on her own. She mostly traveled alone, occasionally picking up a friend and staying with them for a very brief period.

She also visited Kvatch's surviving citizens, knowing her family was gone brought her some comfort in seeing old family friends. On one particular evening, she had left the small campsite to Skingrad with hopes she could get a well deserved sleep. It wasn't the only thing she had in mind as she met a tall, handsome gentlemen outside the West Weald Inn.

He was an older Nord that still held a youthful gaze behind his worn face. She came up to his broad shoulders, an arm stretching across the wooden door leading inside. "And what's a pretty face like you doing out here?"

Carciniea came to a sudden stop, "Oh, me? I was just looking for a place to sleep. Just tired, really."

"Then, my dear, allow me to buy you a drink," his arm moved to around her shoulders, pulling her close to him, "The name's Addies."

She was weary about this Addies character, but the grip he had around her made any resistance useless. "Here, let me buy you a drink," he repeated, guiding her to a seat in a more reserved corner. He already had a spare bottle on hand, saying it was fine mead a friend had made for him. "Ah, yes, my good friend Forvand made this special, so I thought it would be best suited to share it with a kind lady like yourself." He handed her a small bottle of mead, his eyes shifting from her to the bottle. "You seem fairly young, what brings you here by yourself? The world can be quite dangerous these days..."

"My family's gone back to High Rock, all because they don't want to look like peasants," she groaned, taking a large gulp of the mead, "But I didn't wanna go. I just stayed here and tried to help people. So I'm all by myself."

She stared at Addies, who had an unsettling, malevolent smirk on his face. She tried to move her hand, only to find that it was stuck in place. Slowly, she began losing all feeling in her body as it stayed in place. She gasped for air, looking to her Nord friend with confusion.

"It's okay, no need for alarm," he laughed, leaning in to whisper in her ear, "Just let the poison take its place, you'll be fine."

"I... I..." Things began to blur, she stumbled out of her seat and fell on to the cold, metallic ground below her.

"It's okay, everyone," she heard Addies call to the other guests in the inn, picking her up by the arms and heaved her over his shoulder, "She just had a few too many everyone, she's alright."

She tried to move her lips to protest against what he was saying, but she couldn't move. Her eyes roamed the floor, the only thing she could look at. Her arms wave and shake around lifelessly with each step he took up the stairs of the inn. Carciniea heard him open a door along with a new, gruff voice.

" _That's_ the one you picked?" The other person asked, "We agreed to stick with paralyzing women, not knocking out men."

"Relax, Ghunrgol. She may not look it, but she is completely female." She heard Addies laugh, throwing her onto a large bed. "She took a nasty fall, though. Not sure if she's unconscious or not... Not like it matters, anyway."

She heard the sound of a zipper becoming undone as well as feeling some of clothes being removed. She tried to thrash and throw Addies off of her, but the poison was still in full effect.

A terrible, haunting feeling washed over her slowly. She had felt this before in her life, only one other time: It was the feeling of hopelessness and there was nothing she could do to fight back.

Addies climbed above her, fully naked, as he pushed himself inside her. The pain was sharper than any cut or injury she received from a weapon or spell. She managed a weak, heavily muffled cry that not even the other two heard.

She was being violated, stripped of her purity, and she couldn't even make a face in protest. She heard him grunting and moaning, Addies' eyes rolling in the back of his head as he thrusted hard into her.

A few tears welled inside her eyes, her loins aching with every thrust from the man above her. Her eyes ran over Addies' Orc friend, watching him shuffle and sort through her bag. Everything she accumulated and earned over the few years she had been on her own, now lied in the grubby hands of a con artist.

He finished counting the coins in a little sack, a greedy smile creeping across his face as he mumbled nonsense to himself. She heard him clank his hand against something large and metallic. She swore in her head, watching him pull out her silver short sword. He inspected it closely, taking in the details of the craftsmanship.

In the end, he threw the small sword onto the bed. A glimmer of hope sparked in her eyes as the hilt of the sword was a mere few inches away from her fingertips.

"Must you throw it so close to her hand?" The Nord asked.

"Shouldn't be that much of a problem. You did give her _all_ of the poison, right?"

"Obviously."

"Then there shouldn't be much to worry," Ghunrgol retorted, turning her bag upside down to see if there was anything he had missed.

Carciniea tried to extend her arm just a little farther, even if it was just a slight brush against the old knife. She could hear a slow, faint clicking sound scuttling around the room. The other two didn't seem to pay much attention to it, which didn't surprise her. She recognized the old sound, closing her eyelids tightly.

 _Yes_ , she thought.  _Something, anything to at least get my mind away from here. Please, someone come in and take me away from this. Kill me! Yes, kill me! Just anything from this..._

She felt a tear well up, falling to the side of her cheek. Soon enough, her wish was granted. She didn't feel Addies inside of her nor did she feel him continue to violate her. She wasn't sure if she somehow managed to fall asleep or if she was just numb and the poison finally affected her corneal. In this dark void, she found a sort of peace she hadn't felt before the whole Crisis and Kvatch still stood. The only sound was an echo, an echo of the faint clicking sound she heard almost her whole life.

_This... This is my happy place._

She opened her eyes to screaming; a voice not belonging of her own or one of the men, but someone different. Her eyes snapped open to find two things. The first, was a small crowd gathered around her doorway. A few people looked horrified and speechless, while the others called for guards. The second, was the room itself. Addies and his Orsimer friend, Ghunrgol, lied dead and shocked. In her hand was the iron short sword she was desperately reaching for a moment ago, blood gleaming off of it. Even Carciniea's clothes were stained with the other two's blood.

"N-No, it's not what it looks like," she dropped the sword, a guilty smile beginning to cross her face. She was semi-relieved to have control of her body once more, but she still held a worried expression, "You all don't understand- They tried to rape me!"

She wondered what had all conspired while her mind had left her. She heard guards storming through, grabbing and placing her sword in its sheathe. She didn't bother grabbing her things, leaving them stained with a crimson liquid as they sat on Ghunrgol's lap. "I'd really like to stay and chat, but I don't think it's going to end well for me!" She called, leaping through the window and sprinting out of the city.

She spent her time heading east to Chorrol, a quaint little city she remembered Adophum took her to while he was on a few small quests. She didn't bother to stop and rest; every time she laid her head to rest she could almost feel the experience repeating. Clicky was also very good with keeping her awake as his clicking sounds got strangely loud the closer they got to Chorrol.

She collapsed in the nearest inn, avoiding eye contact with strangers and decidedly kept to herself. She was incredibly tired from the experience, wanting at decently secured place for a well deserved rest. She laid spread eagle on the wide bed, her eyes glued to the door. She had checked thrice that she locked it, though the immense fear that someone would take advantage of her once more hung over her.

She switched over to her side, one eye open to keep watch in case. Clicky stood over her, but it wasn't exactly the most reliable thing in the world. He was good for some comfort, nothing beyond the misguidance that he would prove any actual protection.

Stars began to poke out of the crimson sky, soon enough the moons would join them. The tension and stress that kept her eyes open these past few days began to crash on her. Her eyes fluttered to stay open, slowly beginning to be dragged into slumber.

It wasn't long until she willed herself awake again, her movements had slowed down but she was alert as ever. In the dark room she felt another presence, someone who shouldn't be there.

She sat herself up, her hand already tightly gripping the hilt of her short sword, peering into the dark shadows, "I-Is anyone there?" The weak attempt to sound intimidating had managed to draw someone out of the shadows, a handsome figure that had caught her completely off guard.

"You sleep very soundly for a murderer..." Said a deep, silky voice that almost made her sigh with longing.

"I- I'm a murderer? I can't be, that-"

"Oh, but you are." The figure sat down, pulling off the hood that hid a handsome, refined face, "And I have an offer for you."

Carciniea, at this point, was entranced by the foreign man and his words. She listened to him, sitting on edge with each word and breath, taking in and memorizing every inch of his matured features. She listened to his offer, to kill an innocent target, though she herself found it hard to believe that she was a killer - until her mind flashed back to the inn room with the dead men. Even then, she was in disbelief she had attacked them. She didn't even remember moving!

But, the thought of seeing this man - this beautiful creature, she was more than ready to accept his request. To join his organization, the Dark Brotherhood, was something she could live with. She wasn't sure if she was much of a killing machine, but for him she would try.

"I... Yes, yes! I will, you can count on me," she smiled, "Uh- Sithis, is it? Yes- Hail Sithis, am I right?"

He smirked, a hand brushing against her cheek, "Yes, you will fit in just fine. Do not forget our agreement."

"I won't forget, not ever!" She drew a short breath, losing much of it from his touch, "I will never fail you."

He stood, going over to the previously locked window, giving it a slight push and opened it. Dawn was approaching, the cracks of sunlight beginning to bleed out from the horizon. This probably cued him to make his leave. He sat himself on the window sill, giving her a cool smile, "I hope to see you soon."

"Don't leave," she suddenly became weak, her chest heaving, "Please- It gets so lonely, and... And..."

"My dear, with the Dark Brotherhood you will never be alone. This is a more real, more dangerous family."

"I- I just have so many questions still..." She sighed, "Before you go, please, I need to know your name."

"Lucien Lachance," he winked, leaping out the window and into the night.

She rushed to catch one more glimpse of him, sad to find she was too late. He was gone from her sight, but her heart still pounded as if he was still right there, touching her. Talking to her. Her hand held the very cheek that his hand gingerly caressed but a moment earlier.

She sat herself back on the bed, flabbergasted at what had occurred. She felt as if she was awake for the first time, or if she was in a wonderful dream she hoped to never come out of.

She felt her finger brush against something sharp and metallic. She jumped at the slight cut. She looked down to find a small, sharp little blade that she wasn't quite familiar with. She gingerly picked it up with her other hand, reading a small note wrapped around it: " _Use it well._ "

She sighed and slumped on the window sill, waiting for the sun to rise above the land. "He's so... Entrancing. He can sneak into my bedroom anytime, isn't right Cli-" She turned to see an empty room, all to herself, "Oh..." 

She turned back to the morning sky, for the first time feeling truly alone. No longer did the annoying clicking sounds her friend unintentionally made fill the silence, instead made it that much more unbearable. She wasn't too sad, though, as she was sure soon she would be in the midst of something new, exciting, and dangerous. She felt at home for the first time in a long time.


End file.
